senate majority leader harry reid filed for cloture today so the vote will not take place until friday. that's when the 60-vote fle threshold will have to be cleared for a simple majority vote to take place on whether former senator chuck hagel becomes the next secretary of defense. >> julian, mr. cruz says he wasn't questioning hagel's patriotism. but let me read what he said when he started demanding financial information for the past five years rather than the standard two. and i'm quoting mr. cruz. it may be that he spoke at radical or extreme groups or anti-israel groups and accepted financial compensation. we don't know. in other words, have you now or have you ever been a communist, senator hagel? isn't that what cruz is asking? >> yeah. we see a lot of this kind of cheap shots by the chicken hawks in the republican party going after a man who -- a decorated veteran from the vietnam war. >> but these are smears, julian. this isn't a cheap shot. this is implying by a question that the man has corruptly received money from nations that this nation believes to be antagonistic. >> i